Chapter 34

It didn’t take long for Lin Jinshen to realize: Lu Yi was just curious.
All she really wanted to know was: Did they first meet at a Huayu Group hotel, too? Did neither of them eat that night? Or did he say something awkward and offend her? Or was it all of the above?
Last time, her debate with Lin Yumo had reached no conclusion.
Lin Jinshen, being the actual party involved, knew the truth better than anyone.
So what was it?
Lu Yi’s line of questioning kept getting interrupted. People kept coming over to say hi. It wasn’t until they registered and got their auction numbers, took their seats, and things finally quieted down, that she finished asking, and added, “I’m very good at keeping secrets, you know.”
“…”
Lin Jinshen’s long legs, impeccably tailored pants and all, were crossed as she spoke. He leaned toward her, eyes utterly locked on her. Even that face, usually blank as stone, seemed, under the lights, with a new wife at his side, almost approachable tonight.
They looked, frankly, like a loved-up newlywed couple.
One talked, one listened; neither showed a trace of boredom.
After a long pause, Lin Jinshen looked into those clear eyes of hers and finally said, “So our first meeting was that disappointing for you?”
“...Not that disappointing,” Lu Yi quickly corrected. “But we’re not talking about us, we’re talking about you and Miss Yellow Dress.”
Lin Jinshen uncrossed his legs. “Then let’s leave. Now.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“But why?” They’d barely been here five minutes.
He pressed his lips together, completely unhurried. “Because making you happy is more important.”
“?”
Lu Yi’s eyes went round, lashes fluttering with alarm. She stiffened, glancing around to check if anyone overheard. Fortunately, they were at the very front, and the nearby seats were mostly empty, scattered anyway.
Still, her heart gave a reckless thud at his words.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?!
Lin Jinshen caught every note of her reaction, and drily added, “Your curiosity, I mean. Satisfying your curiosity.”
He never changed his expression, as if it wasn’t at all intentional that he’d left it open for misinterpretation. If someone took it the wrong way, maybe they should ask themselves why.
Lu Yi: “???”
Thank you, she was officially no longer curious. At. All.
Before the auction began, the Wu family gave their opening remarks. Mr. Wu, rounding in stature and Santa-level jolly, started things off. Mrs. Wu was elegant, the type you just knew had been a knockout when she was young.
Then the girl in the yellow dress was called on stage. Only then did Lu Yi realize who she was, the Wu family’s youngest daughter, Wu Ruoshan. She carried herself with easy confidence; it was impossible not to like her.
As Lu Yi looked her way, Wu Ruoshan met her gaze, no attempt made to hide it, her look was curious, not hostile at all.
She gave a polite smile, matched perfectly by Wu Ruoshan.
The auction began. Lu Yi scrolled through the lots on the tablet provided by the organizers: watches, diamond rings, jewelry, paintings, the entire guest list had donated something to auction off tonight. Anything and everything, really.
Nothing caught her eye. Charity events like this, she thought, were simple enough, you just bid on a couple things, donate a polite sum, and you’re done.
Lin Jinshen, for his part, showed zero intention of bidding on anything for Lu Yi; all those jewels and baubles were secondhand anyway.
He set his sights on a Qing-dynasty blue-and-white vase, donated by Mrs. Wu herself. When he won it for the night’s highest bid, it gave the Wu family plenty of face. Everybody knew how the game was played, pull a few social strings, and everyone walks away happy.
“Let’s go.”
His obligations had been fulfilled for the evening.
Lu Yi nodded. As they shook hands with Mrs. Wu after claiming their auction win, Lin Jinshen excused himself, claiming urgent business. Mrs. Wu gave a tight-lipped smile: “Of course! Don’t let me get in the way of young love.”
Heading out, Lin Jinshen checked his phone and turned to Lu Yi. “Do you want to use the restroom?
“Sure. Give me a few minutes.”
He nodded. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Lu Yi ducked into the restroom, lowering her head and stretching out her hand. The faucet responded instantly, water gushing out. Barely half a minute later, she heard stilettos clack across the tiles, Wu Ruoshan entered, smoothing a stray lock of hair by the mirror beside her.
Wu Ruoshan’s gaze lingered on her reflection, studying Lu Yi’s evenly composed expression. After a beat, she smiled: “Did you know I was coming in?”
“I wasn’t sure. Just a hunch,” Lu Yi replied as she carefully washed her hands.
Wu Ruoshan had been watching them as they left earlier.
Wu Ruoshan gave a little “oh,” and asked, “So, do you know about Lin Jinshen and me?”
Lu Yi nodded. “I’ve heard a bit.”
Wu Ruoshan watched her face for any flicker of emotion, perfectly calm, though who knew if it was real or fake. “If I’d said yes back then, I’d probably be Mrs. Lin right now. Wouldn’t you mind that, even a little?”
The subtext was obvious: congrats, you picked up what I didn’t want.
Lu Yi grabbed a paper towel, dabbing away the last droplets of water from her hands.
Honestly, she wasn’t even mad. If anything, she was curious, why had Wu Ruoshan turned Lin Jinshen down?
That curiosity was unlike her. She was never one to stick her nose into other people’s business, but when it came to Lin Jinshen, all rules seemed to go out the window.
That was exactly what she thought, and exactly what she said: “Not at all. Actually, do you mind telling me why you turned him down?”
She came right out and asked, cool as could be.
This whole exchange felt so familiar between girls. Not a hint of jealousy, just someone genuinely dying for the inside scoop.
“Seriously?” Wu Ruoshan burst out laughing, turning to face her and giving her a full once-over. “Not bad. I like you.”
“I was curious myself, to see what kind of girl Lin Jinshen dumped me for.”
Her tone was light, no malice in it, a gentle prod to see if Lu Yi would crack. If she’d snapped at a single sentence, Wu Ruoshan would have considered Lin Jinshen’s taste a complete disaster.
Lu Yi blinked. “He dumped you?”
“Yup.” Wu Ruoshan rolled her eyes. “Had me doubting his eyesight for months. I mean, what’s wrong with me? But now that I’ve met you, I guess his eyes weren’t so bad after all.”
The first time they met, Wu Ruoshan had actually been pretty taken with Lin Jinshen’s looks. Sure, he came off dull, but dating might bring out another side to him, a little coaching would fix that.
She hadn’t expected Lin Jinshen to turn her down flat.
Unwilling to let it go, she’d asked to meet again, reasoning that maybe the first impression had just been off.
But Lin Jinshen was just as uninterested the second time. She still remembered his words perfectly: If anyone asks, just tell them you weren’t interested in him. His pride didn’t matter.
“I was so annoyed at the time,” Wu Ruoshan admitted. “Thought he was just putting on a show, probably bragging to his buddies about turning me down. But, eh, it’s been ages, and I never heard anything else.”
Yep, sounded just like something Lin Jinshen would do.
Wu Ruoshan arched a brow. “So, congrats, you’ve got taste in men, same as me.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
The conversation flowed easily. They swapped WeChats on the spot. Wu Ruoshan waved her phone, her parents were calling her back into the auction hall.
Lu Yi glanced at a fresh message from Madam Qin, a cash transfer, with a Happy Holidays wish. She smiled to herself, replied with a holiday greeting to her parents, and headed out.
The night breeze met her at the door, and she folded her arms, shivering automatically.
At first glance, Lin Jinshen was nowhere in sight. She searched, then spotted him to the left. In the night’s shadows, his tall frame looked dense and solid, all quiet power.
Even through the night air, his gaze met hers, almost tangible, a line of invisible thread, drawing her in, holding her tight.
How long had he been waiting?
Five minutes? Ten? She hadn’t kept track, but he looked completely unbothered.
Lu Yi made her way over. As she drew closer, she realized even the car was different, not the Bentley they’d arrived in, but a new Continental GT.
A car switch?
Something was up; the atmosphere had shifted. Then she remembered, it was Valentine’s Day. Was he planning some grand gesture?
“Did you prepare a present?” she asked, uncertain. With most guys she’d be sure, but this was Lin Jinshen.
He just looked at her, didn’t deny it, but didn’t pull anything out either. He almost seemed to be waiting, like she was supposed to find it herself.
Lu Yi considered, then asked, “In the trunk?”
She’d seen plenty of over-the-top surprises online: a girlfriend pops the trunk, balloons float out, flowers fill the space, a gift box sits in the center, a bag, some jewelry.
She’d seen variations of this from her own admirers.
Maybe that’s why he’d switched cars, avoid the risk of getting caught on the way over? Still, the idea of Lin Jinshen painstakingly preparing all this felt... distinctly weird.
Maybe it was the assistant’s idea. Jiang Xun had just graduated, a perfect age to still believe in grand romantic gestures.
Wrapping her arms tighter around herself, Lu Yi walked to the car’s rear. She hit the trunk release. No balloons. No flowers. It was utterly empty, spotless, almost like it’d just rolled off the lot.
She turned in confusion, just in time to see car keys fall into view, a Bentley logo gleaming at the center.
Lin Jinshen waited for her, watching her with that easy confidence as she played the little “find your present” game. Dressed in a champagne-colored gown, her heels tapping, she looked like a bud in bloom, the skirt fluttering around her like a midnight tuberose, secret and fragrant beneath the night sky. When she guessed wrong, he finally handed her the answer, gaze steady as always, his voice low: "Want to test drive your new ride?"
"This is the gift? The whole car?" Lu Yi was stunned. That seemed absurdly extravagant.
Lin Jinshen had clearly predicted her reaction. "Don’t overthink it, that account’s half yours. Technically, I just used your money to buy you a present."
Lu Yi: "?"
She laughed. "Thanks, but honestly, I don’t feel like it's extravagant, I just feel kinda broke now."
"You're welcome."
Lin Jinshen pressed the keys into her hand.
He’d been wanting to upgrade her little Mini for ages. Now, wish granted.
Lu Yi drove straight back to Chengxi Gardens.
Not long after they’d left, Lu Yi’s phone chimed with a new message. She guessed it was Madam Qin texting back. She hated to keep the older generation waiting, but she was behind the wheel, so she handed the phone to Lin Jinshen in the passenger seat. "Can you reply for me?"
"Password’s my birthday," she added.
"Got it."
Before she’d even finished saying it, he’d unlocked it.
The wallpaper was a picture of a cream puff. Not many apps, all neatly sorted, it was tidy and easy to navigate.
Another message popped up. Without thinking, Lin Jinshen tapped it open. The chat window started auto-playing a video: dim lighting, a guy in a white shirt on camera, swaying to music, undoing each button one by one. He peeled off the shirt to show off a set of sculpted, pale abs.
“Guess, guess: [@Lu Yi wow! Don’t say we’re just having fun without you, here, enjoy a little eye candy!!!]”
"[Bet you’re regretting not coming now, huh?]"
"[Totally wishing you came, aren’t you!]"
Yu Yin: "[Honestly, Wu Sidong is wild. How is he partying harder than me?]"
Lin Jinshen: "…"
More notifications, all tagging her, each message more risqué than the last. One video had a guy practically purring into the mic, lowering his voice as he grinned at the camera and called, "Big sis."
Big sis? Who exactly was he calling "big sis"?
Lin Jinshen’s lashes flicked up, he glanced at the group name.
Hush! 18+ Only.